Monday, June 29, 2015

Hot!!!

It's Summer! And HOT!


All 5 of my tortoises are outside all day, enjoying the heat while sleeping in the shade. Like Hermy here. 

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Bugsy rescue 62.2

Bugsy came back to me today. It was a bittersweet time. It's obvious that his owner has adored him and cared for him, but he knew his schedule was changing and he'd have no time for Bugsy.

Bugsy is healthy & beautiful now! He is very sweet too. It'll be easy to find him a good home. 


3 Iguanas

Why do I have 3 iguanas?

Because I don't want 4. ;) And I can't say "No" to rescuing iguanas kept in crummy conditions. 

Turbo: 

Sancho:

Junie:


Monday, June 22, 2015

Junie B

Someone was not happy on Saturday when I cut her nails. 



But I had to do it because her scratching was making me bleed. 


Luckily yesterday, she let me love on her. 


And we made progress because she let me love on her. 


Progress!! 

I expect that she'll hate me again today. :) 

Junie B has a pretty severe overbite. Her lower lip folds over her stunted lower jaw. It's pretty funny looking. 



Friday, June 19, 2015

A Walkabout for Voldetort

Voldetort lived in for 6 years in a pathetically tiny tank and then was upgraded to a nice 3 foot by 4 foot box. Then he was upgraded to my 1/2 acre backyard.


So what was the first thing he did? Searched for a way to get out. 


And he did. On Tuesday, this little stinker escaped. I searched my yard over and over again thinking he was just hiding. 

Finally on Wednesday, I put up flyers and posted Facebook posts, and ads. I waited and tried to be hopeful that he'd return. 

On Thursday while I was getting ready to clean my carpets, my neighbor rang my doorbell with Voldetort in his hands. His 3 day walkabout ended when the neighbor found him in his driveway. 


I thanked my neighbor repeatedly and then burst into tears after I shut the door. 

Oy vay!! Voldetort will now be confined to the escape proof garden area until the 1/2 acre is fully escape proof. 

NO more walkabouts, Voldetort!!! 

Junie B, rescue 89

I said "No Iguanas" and I said "Never more than 2." I wish I had a dollar for every time I said that-- I'd have a lot of money for vet bills. ;) When I found out Turbo was dying, I really really thought "Not another one."

This is why I rescued an iguana who had been abandoned by her owner. She came to me in a box and was MAD. I've been letting her chill in her tank. 


Yesterday I took the lid off her tank to see if she wanted to come out. She went to other side and scratched to get out. When I left the room, I closed the lid. 

Today I opened the lid today and this time she tried to get out- sorta. So we're making progress. 

Junie B loves to be sprayed with water. That is our bonding moment so far. I'm hopeful she will be a sweet Iggy. 


No plans for her yet. Just taking it a day at a time and hoping she is friendly enough to free roam so she's not stuck in a tank. 

Monday, June 15, 2015

Hospice for Turbo

No real change in Turbo-- good or bad. He's still grumpier than normal and bobs his head more than he ever did.

He gets a LOT more treats: 

Morning sunshine 


Mango (he LOVES mango!!) 


Head rubs


Unless he drastically declines, I don't plan to put him down this week. Maybe not even next week. 

We're just taking it a day at a time really. 

My Torty Family

Grandma Hermy - 70-ish year old desert tortoise


Lil Foot - 10 year old red foot tortoise


Voldetort - 6 year old Russian tortoise 


Georgie - almost 2 year old leopard tortoise 


Heidi - almost two year old sulcata tortoise 


Lil Foot the Red Foot Tortoise

My rescue buddy decided to rehome his 10 year old male red foot tortoise.


I couldn't say no. ;) How could anyone resist that face?!?

Now I have a family of FIVE tortoises. Lil Foot has made himself right at home. He has his own favorite place outside -- it's under a bush where Daisey the sulcata with the prolapse used to hide so we call it Daisey's garage.


He doesn't want to sleep in the laundry room and has staked out his own spot in the front room. I've tried to correct this, but he won't have it. ;) 

He loves mango (almost as much as Turbo!)


He's a nice, cute, and friendly tortoise and I'm thrilled to have him. 

Voldetort is Back

I helped saved this guy's life a month or so ago and he was returned to me after his initial rescuer couldn't keep him.


So far he's fitting in with my tortoise family really well and he's so happy free roaming in my backyard. 


He has learned to put himself to bed in the laundry room like Hermy too. 


And he's cute! ;) So for now he's part of our tortoise family. 


Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Bad News for Turbo

The good news is that Ginny is ok and should feel fine-- just very slowly.

Turbo is now on hospice care. It will only be a matter of time before I have to put him down. :( 


Because of an infection in his spine, he is quickly losing control of his back legs and tail. He's not able to pick himself up when he poops now so it's a mess to clean him up. 

His arm swelling is growing weekly and he's no longer able to put any weight on it or use his fingers. 


If the swelling was only in his arm, we could treat him with antibiotics and prolong his life some. But with it in his spine, there is no chance to contain or control it. 

Dr Folland also discovered that Turbo's eye socket was bleeding because of trapped suture material that wasn't dissolving. He was able to remove the suture and flush out old blood so that should help stop the bleeding. 


Poor guy was in so much pain during his appointment and was angry with me after. I laid him down on a soft towel and stroked his back till he went to sleep and then picked him up and held him. 

I don't know when I'll take him in to be put down. It hurtsy heart too much to think about it right now. It will be soon. He's in too much pain and the infection is spreading too fast. 

Monday, June 8, 2015

Not Such a Good Day for Rescues

Ginny's arm keeps swelling and the scales are discoloring. :(



Plus she's darker than normal and a lot more listless. 


Turbo is having a bad day and his eye socket is bleeding. He keeps trying to nip at me and he bobs his head at everyone else who gets near him. That's his "Back OFF!" move. 


I bumped their vet appointments up from next Monday to this Wednesday. No reason to wait. I'll keep you posted. 



Monday, June 1, 2015

A Set Back for Ginny

Ginny's shoulder stump swelled up a lot in the last few days and today she went to the vet.


It was not good news. Her incision and shoulder were filled with infection and the tissues were dying. Dr Folland opened up the incision, scraped out the pus, removed a lot of dead & dying tissue, and trimmed back her remaining arm bone again. There was very little blood flow to the area which is a bad sign. 


Her shoulder is now an open wound so I can flush it out twice a day. If it is clear and healthy in two weeks during her recheck, we'll stitch the opening closed. If not, .... I'm not sure she'll have much chance of survival at that point. 


Between the antibiotic shots and the wound care, Ginny's shoulder has a good chance of healing. I just hope she has enough strength to fight this and that the infection hasn't become systemic (in her blood stream and impossible to treat). 


After the procedure, Ginny was done! I wrapped her up in the blankie I brought her in and tucked her into my shirt.